Some people said， “I feel like I’ve missed out，” and “I might skip Matsuya and go to Yoshinoya instead．” There are complaints about the “late-night fees” that beef bowl chains have begun to introduce．
On the way home from a drinking party, I felt hungry and thought I might stop by a beef bowl restaurant. The Matsuya in my neighborhood is open 24 hours a day and welcomes me whenever I want. When I tried to order “regular beef bowl” on the tablet, for some reason the screen went back to the beginning. I thought, “What?” and ordered again, and was surprised. The price of beef rice is more expensive than before. Thinking that this was odd, I tried placing the order again, but no matter how many times I pressed the button, the price remained high. I suddenly looked at the clock and it was exactly 10pm. That’s when I realized. This is the late night charge. Matsuya’s late-night charges implemented due to rising labor costs Matsuya Foods Holdings, which operates the major beef bowl chain Matsuya, has introduced late-night charges at Matsuya and Matsunoya (including the attached My Curry Shokudo) in one metropolitan area and six prefectures since July 2024. For orders placed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following morning, prices of each menu item will increase by around 7%. For example, a bowl of beef and rice that normally costs 430 yen will cost 460 yen. If you place an order on the ticket machine after 10 p.m., the screen will start over from the beginning. According to the company, the introduction of late-night charges is due to rising labor costs. According to the Labor Standards Act, night work must be paid at least 25% above the regular wage. This will be a major burden for the company, which operates mainly 24-hour stores. It is with this in mind that late-night charges have been introduced. Matsuya’s decision to introduce late-night charges was largely due to the fact that its competitor, Sukiya, will be introducing late-night charges from April 2024. Like Matsuya, the company offers its menu items from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. at a rate 7% higher than the regular price. According to a company representative, the initiative has been well-received and customers are not leaving the company. Matsuya likely took these results into consideration when deciding to set late-night rates. As a result, Yoshinoya is now the only major beef bowl chain that does not have a late-night fee. ■ Consumers have a “difficult to describe” feeling The author thinks that the introduction of these late-night charges is inevitable. In the first place, since the COVID-19 outbreak, the habit of going out at night has decreased, and many stores have stopped operating 24 hours a day. Among these, there are stores that are open late at night, and we are grateful for their existence. However, when you open social media, the “true feelings of consumers” gradually emerge. I hesitate to quote them verbatim, so I’ll just give you an idea of the nuances of some of the posts: “I went to a gyudon restaurant like usual, but they charged me the late-night fee, so I felt like I’d lost out. No, I understand the situation, but…” “I like Sukiya, but because they charge me the late-night fee, I might end up hating them… I miss the days when I could eat it for 280 yen” “When I want to eat gyudon, I’ll either rush to the restaurant before 10pm, or go to Yoshinoya” There were many posts like these that showed understanding of the late-night fee, but were confused by the price increase. There are also posts that seem to be from Yoshinoya, which does not offer late-night rates, so it will be interesting to see how this beef bowl chain develops in the future. Whenever I see these reactions, I am reminded just how much beef bowl chains have become like an “infrastructure of society.” In fact, the beginnings of beef bowl chains and late-night operations are closely related. (Source below. https
If you look at the profit margins of the restaurant industry, it makes you want to cry. I wonder if they’re doing it as a charity. Well, deflation was national policy, so people accepted it, but the paradigm has shifted.
There’s no way that some industrial company would increase the unit price because this part was manufactured late at night lol. From the consumer’s point of view, it’s the same service, so it’s strange that the price should be different depending on the time. Consumers should be completely left out and left crying.
I haven’t eaten at Sukiya or Yoshinoya since they started serving soupless beef bowls, and since set meal restaurants started serving soupless beef bowls too I don’t eat there when eating out, I only get ready-made meals.
Matsuya: 460 yen (late night charge) Yoshinoya: 498 yen (Matsuya has a high late night charge) “Maybe I should skip Matsuya and go to Yoshinoya…” Maybe they’re people who can’t cut a cake?
>>86 Correction Matsuya: 460 yen (late night price) *Includes miso soup Yoshinoya: 498 yen + 85 yen (miso soup) (Matsuya has a high late night price) “Maybe I should skip Matsuya and go to Yoshinoya…”
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